Apart from citizens of bordering countries Nepal and Bhutan, all visitors need a visa for India. India also maintains a limited visa on arrival program for tourists who are citizens of 10 countries (discussed below). In all other circumstances, you must obtain your Indian visa before arriving in India. Here is a brief guide to help you prepare your India visa application.
• Types of Visas Required for India
Visitors staying on Indian Territory for less than 72 hours qualify for a transit visa. Under other conditions, an Indian tourist visa is required.
Most tourist visas are issued for six months, and allow multiple entries. However, some countries issue visas for shorter durations such as three months, and longer durations, such as one year. Eighteen countries extend visa validity to five years – Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Japan and Vietnam – while the United States issues ten-year visas.
Still, irrespective of the duration of your tourist visa, Indian government authorities don't allow you to remain in India for more than 6 months at a time. Moreover, the aforementioned five-year tourist visa only allows stays of up to 3 months, and a two-month gap generally applies between visits to India on tourist visas.
Other types of visas available for visitors to India are business visas, employment visas, research visas, and student visas.
• Typical Costs of Indian Tourist Visas
The cost of an Indian tourist visa varies from one country to another based on the afferent agreement between governments. The average cost of a six-month tourist visa is $70 in the United States, ₤30 in the United Kingdom, and $90 (AUD) in Australia. Other countries, such as Argentina, Jamaica, Japan, Mongolia and South Africa, have significantly lower visa issuance fees.
• Applying for an Indian Visa
In an attempt to optimize the visa issuing process, the Indian Embassy has started outsourcing the application procedures to private processing agencies in many countries. For a list with such agencies, run an internet search and select a suitable authority.
When you apply for an India visa, you will need to procure a standard visa application form from the Indian Embassy in your country, or to fill in an online application form on the website of one of the visa processing agencies.
In addition to your application and fee, obtaining an Indian Tourist Visa requires you to submit your passport that is valid for a minimum of six months and has at least two blank pages, a current passport size photo, as well as a description of your route. In certain countries, you may also be required proof of residential address.
• The Visa on Arrival Program
Residents of 10 countries qualify for a 30-day, single entry, Indian tourist visa upon arrival in India. These countries are Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore, as well as Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam (as of January 1, 2011). The visas are only issued at Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai airports, with the mention that a tourist is only entitled two of these visas per year, and the two-month interval between visits rule still applies.
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